Arabesque

Sometimes your tummy is just not ready (not healed enough) to progress through to the next stage of your restricted diet. You may need to go to a purée stage & not straight to soft. Sometimes soft is just not soft enough yet. It’s not uncommon for people to need a few more days on a stage or to go back a stage. Coarse or dry foods can cause that stuck feeling & can result in the foamies (sticky thick salvia you spit up & then you may regurgitate the food that is stuck). Keep your food moist/sloppy so it goes down more easily & smoothly. Use gravies, sauces, stock, milk, water, mayo, or whatever complements what you’re eating. Plus your tummy can be like a petulant temper throwing two year old tolerating a food one day but not the next. It may be the taste or the texture that sets it off. Avoid that food for a week & try again. Make sure you’re eating small bites (part or level teaspoons) slowly. Leave a couple of minutes between bites. If it persists & these hints don’t help contact your surgeon.

Yep, your fertility often increases whike you are losing weight. Estrogen is stored in your fat & as you lose weight it is released into your bloodstream causing an estrogen surge. Many surgeons recommend trying not to fall pregnant while losing so you can gain optimal benefits if the surgery hence the advice to double down on your contraceptives. Of course it is your choice whether you try to fall pregnant & sometimes things are meant to be.

That’s probably a conversation with your surgeon. And it depends upon what hormones you are talking about. There are many hormones produced through out your body that have roles to play that are not related to your weight directly or indirectly. For most of us it is our weight that causes our hormones to be unbalanced, unless there is a medical condition like diabetes, over/under active thyroid, etc, so losing weight will help to balance out your hormones. Most hormone diets will advise you to lose weight by adopting a low processed whole foods diet, high in protein & be more active. This is what yiur post surgical plan will look like anyway. They often say manage stress & sleep more - both will be helped by losing weight. The surgery will reduce the amount of the hunger hormone ghrelin that is produced (it’s removed with your tummy) but your brain does eventually compensate by stimulating other areas of the body that produces hunger hormones (motilin in your intestines) & your hunger does return. The surgery will also give your metabolism a boost (but you have to keep it burning otherwise you’ll lose some of it’s effectiveness). Dietary changes will also help to better regulate your hunger & satiety hormones. There is evidence to show a diet of high processed food will increase the production of your hunger hormone & reduce production of the hormone that tells you you’ve had enough. Estrogen is stored in fat so as you lose weight you’ll first get a oestrogen surge & you may notice changes with your menstrual cycle & it can make you more fertile. It’s temporary. Your cycle stabilises once you get close to your goal as your weight stabilises. Though you may notice you don’t have as many issues or symptoms with your cycle. And may help stabilise your weight a little too. Losing weight will also help reduce any diabetes issues you may have & better regulate your body uses insulin.

Just found these two articles about iron malabsorption you may find interesting. Basically it’s more common with bypass than sleeve & with post menopausal woman. Also said one possibility as to the cause is your reduced diet after surgery while you are losing. To absorb iron you need a range of nutrients which you may not be getting. You are eating much smaller portions & many struggle with beef which is considered an easy source of iron. Worth a conversation with your surgeon & the experience of their previous patients & whether it will be a permanent issue for you https://www.cedars-sinai.org/health-library/diseases-and-conditions/r/risks-of-bariatric-surgery-anemia.html https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/iron-deficiency-after-gastric-bypass-surgery

Which cost $200 - the Robards or another one? Are the $200 ones those you were advised to use by your surgeon or medical team? Usually we say follow your surgeon’s & medical team’s plan because it’s in place to best support you lose weight & make the surgery easier & safer. There likely is a specific reason your surgeon recommended the shakes they did. But if the expense is a concern (& $200 does seem excessive - does your insurance cover it?) I’d speak to your surgeon & ask for alternatives. My surgeon puts different patients on different pre surgery plans. For example he sent me to a dietician & did keto for the two weeks. He sent my friend (who had more to lose & pre existing health issues which I didn’t) to the hospital’s weight loss clinic to do their shake plan.

Yeah, avoid the Facebook groups. I’ve never heard of or read a favourable or supportive one ever. I don’t go near them. One thing you can be certain of is that everyone’s experiences will have some similarities but also differences & there’s no one right way just a right way for you.We are different people, with different bodies, ages, gender height, build, needs, health status & issues, on different meds, etc. so it can’t be exactly the same. Look at the advice & suggestion people give here as ideas for you to consider, maybe try &/or discuss with your medical team. I’m glad you’re seeing your surgeon soon. They’re going to be best placed to assess your progress in relation to you & your situations & needs. And have a chat with your dietician as well for alternative food suggestions & portion recommendations - you never know what may help. And yes, take body measurements. The scale doesn’t always move especially during a stall which you could have had or be experiencing (they usually last 1-3 weeks). PS - Two eggs at 7 weeks?? I could just about eat one by 6 months & at almost 4 years I can almost eat two eggs. See lots of differences. Neither right or wrong. 😁

This video by Dr Pilcher mentions it. (It’s a very good video & he has other informative ones too.) But with all statistics & averages, some people don’t meet them & some exceed them. They just give you an idea of what you might expect. I’m almost four years post surgery. Personally, I’d lost 17kg at 3 months (from surgery weight). I reached goal at 6 months having lost 27kgs. At 12 months, I’d lost 36kg so about double as they suggest. But from that 6 month mark I was trying not to lose - my body though was working at getting to my new set point where it was happiest (& I actually am too). Who knows what I might have lost if I was actively still trying to lose during the second half of the first year. 🤷🏻‍♀️ The first three months are often called the honeymoon phase when the benefits of the surgery are at their optimal effectiveness. After that your weight loss rate starts to slow, for many they’re appetite & hunger may start to come back, etc. After that, your success depends more & more on you.

When you’ve never experienced something before, it’s natural to be concerned & have some worries. Bariatric surgery is a very safe surgery especially when compared to many other commonly performed operations. And yes your team are experienced professionals. Don’t be afraid to tell them you are nervous or have pain, nausea, or whatever. They are there to help you. Your pain is easily managed with medication & many find by day 4 +/- they have little or none. Gas pain can persist longer though - up to a week but it’s more discomfort than pain - walk, walk, walk. Yes, the initial placement of the IV can briefly temporarily hurt but it’s more of a sting than pain. My anaesthetist was joking with me & asking what alcohol I’d like him to add to the drip which was a distraction. I had blood tests every month - alternating one for my GP & one for my surgeon. From my second year I was every three months & at three years I began every 6 months. Again just a little sting at first & looking away does help. I’m so used to them now, I dint even think about it. Big picture, the surgery is nothing really. Certainly when compared to the potential health issues & treatments & intervention you may need if you continue being obese. For example, the pain from this surgery is nothing compared to knee replacement or heart surgery. I had sleeve like you’re having & it was the best thing I ever did too.

Glad you are feeling better. It is really important to pace yourself & be aware of portion sizes while you are in the healing & recovery stages. A lot of nerves were cut during your surgery so your signals don’t get through or if they do, they’re different to how you usually experience them. Yea, I have heard of people who have progressed through their staged return to eating more quickly (not skipping as such) but always because their surgeons advised them to do so & see how they go. There are also lots of people who return to a previous stage because their body just wasn’t ready even if they were progressing at their plan’s rate. The cravings are another matter & should never influence how quickly you progress through the stages (they’re in place to protect & support your healing tummy - remember all those sutures & staples holding your tummy/digestive system together). A craving, where you want to eat a specific food, texture or flavour, is a head hunger & not real hunger (when you don’t want anything specific & just want nourishment). Are you wanting to eat because you’re seeking comfort, because of stress (common after surgery) , boredom or other emotions, habit, thinking you should be hungry because you’re eating so little, etc. Look for a distraction. Head hunger usually doesn’t last. Read, craft, play a game, watch a movie or show, have a warm drink, go for a walk, or do some other activity like clean out a drawer or a shelf in the pantry, ring a friend, check out social media or this forum. They won’t necessarily stop the cravings but do help manage them.

Can’t advise on the vapping or weed question but I would be really worried if someone who didn’t survive replied. 👻👻 Will point out though that both compromise your recovery & healing, hinder your breathing during the surgery, increase your risk of clots, etc. And some surgeons test to see if you have stopped using before surgery.

I didn’t get calories either. Did get portion size for from purée (1/4 - 1/3 cup slowly increasing to a cup). If you’d feel more comfortable & confident with some some calorie guidelines for from purée/soft food on, ask your dietician for some that will best complement you & your needs (we’re all different).

First the average weight loss statistic for sleeve or bypass is about 65% of the weight you have to lose to put you in a healthier range. Of course some lose more & some lose less. Now the why. The surgery will reset your body’s set point. This is the weight your body is happiest at & is easiest to maintain. Your set point could end up higher or lower than you’d prefer. Life. It can throw crap at you & make it more difficult to lose or maintain your weight (stress, emotions). Health conditions & medications. Some meds are notorious for increasing your appetite & causing weight gain & some health conditions limit your ability to lose all the weight you want e.g, restrict mobility. Personal choice. Some feel happier at a higher weight. Or they make food choices that better complement their life & how they want to live their life. Your body reaches a lower weight but resettles a bit heavier. A bounce back regain of 10+/- lbs can occur. And so on. I understand your fear of regaining. I mean we all have a lifetime of experiencing weight loss & the inevitable regain. This is the first time in my life (was almost 54 when I had my surgery) I have ever maintained my weight after losing for longer than a couple of months. The difference is I did not go back to eating in the sane way as I always did. I worked out a way of eating that I’m comfortable with, doesn’t make me feel like I’m missing out or making sacrifices, allows me to live my life as I want, is sustainable (very important) & works for me & my body. I changed my relationship with food. My choices may not work for you or others & some may think it too restrictive. I din consider it a die but just how I eat. I avoid as much sugar, sugar alternatives & artificial sweeteners as I can so no sodas & sweets only a couple of times a year (e.g. Christmas). If I want/need sweet I eat fruit. I prep & cook most of what I eat - mostly lots of whole foods & low processed ingredients. I rarely have takeaway & haven’t had fast food since before my surgery. I keep my carbs lowish & choose whole & multi grains more complex carbs. No bread or similar products pasta or rice (choice & also sit heavily in my tummy). I also chose not to exercise. I didn’t want to have to spend hours in a gym or run or cycle miles every week to maintain my weight. I’m happy with the stretches, resistance band exercises & sit ups I do. (Takes a total of about 25 minutes over a couple of sessions a day & wouldn’t burn 30 calories - LOL!). It works for me & my body seems happy at this weight (set point). I’ve basically maintained my weight since my surgery. Chat with your surgeon about a realistic goal weight after surgery & what you might experience & your dietician about how your future of eating might look. Research & avoid trendy diets - if they worked & were sustainable no one would have weight issues. You may find this video informative. You may find this video informative. Dr John Pilcher has many great videos on a variety of topics. Dr Matt Weiner is very good too.

Your tummy is still healing, very sensitive & learning how to function again. I described it as a petulant temper throwing 2 year old child. It may continue this way for a couple of months & then every now & again in the future. Liking something one day & not the next. Being able to eat your portion today but not tomorrow. And so on. Lots of fun & games. Cold drinks can make your healing tummy muscles spasm.Try room temp, warm or hot drinks - more soothing. Try swapping brands or flavours or avoid what upsets you for a week & try again. Sometimes it can be the texture - like your purées are too thick - try diluting them more. It does get better & easier. I’m almost 4 yrs out & recently my tummy decided it didn’t like tasty cheese anymore. Don’t know why. It may be fine with it again in a few weeks time.

As @catwoman7 said both surgeries are good & will work to help you lose your weight. And you’ll hear from people who swear one or the other is the best. But remember it was best for them. Do lots of reading including people’s stories & experiences here, ask your surgeon lots of questions & for their recommendation. The decision will come down to your personal health & medical needs & history & your personal choice on how you want to live your life. Both share some similar considerations in regard to dumping & malabsorption, the post surgical recovery & plans (differences are more from surgeons or your specific needs). Dumping & malabsorption are possible with both but a little less common with sleeve - luck of the draw - but both can be managed. I don’t dump but I do have some malabsorption (protein & some meds) but it’s from my lack of gall bladder not my sleeve & I don’t need to take additional vitamins. I was leaning towards a sleeve from my research and after my conversation with my surgeon, who thought it would work best for me, I decided it was for me. I had mild reflux which I managed 99% with dietary choices (still do, it’s different, need meds every day but is manageable). Decided if I needed to (for gerd, extra weight loss help, etc.) I could revise to bypass in the future. I didn’t want to depend on vitamin supplements if I could. I didn’t have any co morbidities. I lost all my weight & more with my sleeve & have maintained (+ 1 kg). All the best whichever surgery you choose.

Your surgeon & team will let you know what you need pre & post surgery including what vitamins you will need (we have similar & different vitamin needs). Eating plans can have a number of differences including what your pre surgery diet may actually be. Like mine was keto not shakes before surgery. Don’t worry too much about what you will need/be allowed to ‘eat’ yet but purchase things like over the counter non nsaid pain meds (Tylenol), immodium, stool softener or other constipation aid, electrolyte drinks, etc. Look at buying a scale with small increments, measuring cups & spoons, toddler cutlery or buffet sporks, small toddler sized plates & bowls or similar, a blender/nutri bucket or similar, a tea leaf strainer (handy for straining soups), small containers &/or zip lock bags for freezing & storing leftovers, etc. I’m sure others will add other suggestions too. In hospital, pack a couple of pairs pjs (so much nicer than the surgical gown, accidents can happen & you may spend an extra day in hospital), a couple pairs of knickers for the same reasons, toiletries (incl hand/face/body moisturiser, own soap/ shower gel, deodorant, toothbrush & paste, fascial cleanser, brush/comb), Biotene mouth moisturiser, lip balm, phone & other device cords. You can wear the same clothes home as you wore to hospital & the non slip socks they give you are enough to walk around the ward. When you do buy your shakes, buy a couple of different brands & flavours as after surgery your taste often change & one you liked before surgery can taste revolting after. All the best

Mac & cheese is such a yummy heart warming comforting dish though I’d expect Mac & cheese will be off your menu for a while. The macaroni, as with all pastas, are a big no while you are losing. Though some are allowed a few carbs they are more complex carbs & usually whole & multi grains. Pasta is a simple carb with little nutritional benefit & it swells in your now much tinier tummy. You fill up on the pasta & have no room for the protein & other nutrients yiu really need. You may decide to reintroduce it later if you want & may work out some alternative ingredients to make it a healthier choice like low fat milk & cheese & high protein macaroni.

I’d probably avoid the butter to keep things low fat but the little in your portion of mashed potatoes is probably okay. It is only one meal. But check your plan to be sure. Plans are so different - I wasn’t allowed potatoes, apple sauce or puddings & then I chose not to reintroduce potatoes (though a couple of times a year I may have a bite or two of a roast potato).

Sometimes random aches & pains occur simply because you’re aren’t moving much. As you lose weight your centre of balance changes - your body doesn’t need to hold itself in a certain way to compensate for your weight & you get pain as your joints & muscles learn how to move your smaller lighter body again. If you’re dehydrated your urine will be dark, you don’t pee often, you’ll have headaches, dry mouth, etc. How much are you drinking? (You can count your shakes, broths & soups in your daily total.) It doesn’t matter if you don’t hit your goal in the beginning as long as you’re close & are working at it. Pain alone is not a sign of a clot so breath. If you get additional symptoms like swelling, itching, discolouration, &/or warmth go to your local medical centre. Try adding an electrolyte drink to your daily fluid intake to help give you a little energy boost. Try to walk. It will help with getting rid of any surgical gas, get yiur body moving (which can help with any aches & pains from being sedentary. You didn’t have to walk miles at first. Start just walking around your home then to the end of your block & keep doing g more as you are able. I have stairs in my house so I walked up & down them a few times a day. All the best.

As @Starwarsandcupcakes said it’s only two weeks. Two weeks is nothing compared with the rest of your life. I wouldn’t worry about starting shakes now - you’ll be sick enough of them with the 2 weeks pre op & 2 week post op diets without extending how long you’re on them. Not sure what you’ve started doing airways but try reducing your caffeine, fat& carb sugar intake, drink more water, try healthier cooking methods, etc. Small changes do make a difference & may help with the withdrawal symptoms when you do start the shakes - they can be a struggle. I love how people say things do it yourself & just don’t put the weight back on. Don’t they realise if you could you would have done that the many times you lost weight in the past. They have no idea. Unless they’ve lived your life & experienced your battles with weight their comments are worthless. Congrats on your weight loss so far. I bet you’ve noticed an improvement in your health already. And congrats getting a surgery date. Yay!

Is it on a particular side? Gall stone pain is on the right side & radiates around your back. Your can mild pain or you can get severe ‘oh my avid am I dying’ pain. A cutting like pain across your abdomen can be excess acid. I’d push for some scans to be done sooner than later. It may only be muscle strain but better to be sure than not & be tested if necessary. No one wants or needs to experience persistent pain.

Totally meal prepped at home. Froze single, portion appropriate meals of whatever I cooked at night (yay leftovers) & it was simply a matter of raiding the freezer before I left in the morning. & reheating at work. I found mince dishes really easy (bolognese sauce, savoury mince, meatballs & gravy, etc.) as well as chunky soups from soft foods & then swapped to more dense foods like chicken tenders as I progressed. Threw in some cheese sticks, cucumber slices, a few grapes or similar. I’d keep packet soups on hand just in case.

Our taste buds often change temporarily after surgery & things we used to enjoy taste or even smell disgusting or upset our sensitive healing tummies. Try bone broths, consommés or cream soups (just strain them to ensure they are perfectly smooth). Blend a high protein yoghurt to make a yoghurt drink - add as much milk as you need to make it thin enough to drink. Protein waters are also useful. Often you can tolerate a different brand or flavour of shake.

Actually I could eat steamed cabbage & often had a small spoonful as my vegetable. I did bring up a slice of well cooked soft carrot (but could eat it in slow cooked soups, mince dishes, etc. - our tummies can be very weird & unpredictable). Depending upon how soft & fall apart the corned beef is you may be able to eat a small amount of that without the bun. Try a small piece, chew it well & see how you go. You may need some mustard pickles ( without the chunky vegetables) , sauce, etc. to moisten it a bit. Do take your shake, creamed wheat just in case. There’s a lot of trial & error to discover what your tummy will tolerate & it’s ever changing. Watch the sugar free puddings especially if they are sweetened with artificial sweeteners. They can often upset people & cause diarrhoea, bloating & cramping. And many are extra sensitive to sweet flavours & food can be too sweet.

Could be an oestrogen surge. Oestrogen is stored in fat & as you lose weight it is released into your blood stream & general messes your usual cycle up. Heavier or lighter periods, more or less frequent cycles, more or fewer PMT symptoms & for you maybe a breakthrough bleed. All very common. I’m menopausal & all my symptoms went away. It was wonderful. Unfortunately, they all came back when my weight lost slowed & I was close to goal.

Aren’t you allowed clear broths/consommés? Just water seems a little extreme but all dictums are different. It seems some experience constipation & others diarrhoea & some het a very I tersting combination. I had one very bad, no warning, extremely smelly & black diarrhoea attack. Literally got up to pee, took a few steps & whoosh. It’s the blood from the surgery, high stomach acid, all liquid diet & just your sensitive digestive system. It will get better … & then the constipation will begin 😉. My friend had quite a bit of diarrhoea (wet farts are real). Her surgeon advised her to buy disposable underwear before her surgery in case this happened - best advice she swears.